


Blue Dots

by TedizStalker



Category: Bx: Execute (OFF Fangame)
Genre: Blame Flo for that too, Both Huaso and Aceso share the same Elsen number, For this reason Aceso also borrows Huaso's name, Gen, Minor Character Death, Told from Aceso's perspective, hold onto your heads it's a rough ride, i dunno what else to add
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25894630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TedizStalker/pseuds/TedizStalker
Summary: Some things are best left buried under the ashes of burnt bridges.Sometimes, some things need to be dug up if any clarity is to shine through like a lighter.And sometimes, it should remain buried because matching numbers cause a clash of interest.But it has happened once before. And to avoid a rinse and repeat on a file not his own, Aceso is given permission to explain why Flo finds Huaso's face hauntingly familiar.
Relationships: Huaso/Flo
Kudos: 6





	Blue Dots

How many times?

How many _fucking_ times had he nearly been reduced to ash, or a pile of contaminated sugar, by this idiot?  
And how. How, and fucking _why?_

Huaso tightened his grip around the unconscious harbringer’s hair, claws digging into the scalp and quite possibly leaving bleeding welts. He gave his positive opposite the luxury of dragging him out of the mines by his ankle many times before after knocking him out with his trusty shovel, but it was high time he got it drilled into his thick, hyperactive, irrational brain of his how irresponsible it is to flick on the lighter in the mines. The frown upon his goggles would not let up as he kept his expression in a hardened ire.

~~

Flo awoke to a splash of hot plastic to his face, shortly after the sensation of a Red Joker took hold. He sat up coughing, patting around for his glasses before finding that, yes, there is someone there holding said glasses out to him. With a muttered ‘thank you’, he slid them on. Only for the color to drain from his face as he saw who woke him up, and gave him back his glasses.

“O-Oh… hi.” he sheepishly greeted.

“Flo, how many times have I told ya not ta light it up in the mines?”

“Uh… once? Or twice?”

“Try ‘more than enough times that I lost count!’” Huaso hollered.

Wow, he sounds really mad…

“I’ve warned ya, I have warned ya more than once! You were _this_ close to settin’ me on fire that time. There’s only so much _bullshit_ I can take, so much before something more than ‘a little mistake’ turns into a fuckin’ inferno! This may be smoke mines, but it’s minin’ nonetheless! What if that was a gas pocket I picked open? I’ve let ya hung around me in my damn workplace long enough, let ya off the hook more than I can recall, an’ ya _still_ git that fuckin’ lighter out! That ain’t safe!”

Flo recoiled a bit with each emphasis coming from the angry miner’s mouth. “I would’ve been there to fix you up if anything happened…”

"I am sick and tired, _so fucking sick and tired_ , of yer selfish desire to flick on the lighter, yer apathy an’ blatant disregard to the safety of others! One a these days, yer fiery shenanigans is goin' to git everyone but _yourself_ killed! You want _that_ kind of blood an' sugar on yer hands, too?!"

“I… I-I… ah…” Flo was at a loss for words, eyes wide as something finally registered.

It was at this moment that the matchstick broke the doctor’s spine.  
Flo couldn’t take it. He couldn’t take the series of flashbacks, the memories he tried so hard to suppress. But Huaso had a point. He had brought the flame too close to comfort for Pestilence, and it’s not the first time #48276…  
Oh Epsilon, what was he doing? Why was he this _reckless_?

“Hey, doc… you alright...?” Huaso softened when he saw the other begin to hyperventilate, all previous grievances forgotten in an instant.

“I-I’m sorry, I g-gotta go!” Flo scurried to his feet and ran back into the mines, forgetting his lighter in the process. He couldn’t bear to let the other catch the scent of saline water trickling from his eyes, even with the glasses in the way.

~~

The miner continued his search through the mines, asking the other inhabitants if they had seen one run through with blue glasses, and couldn't possibly miss it. While some refuse to answer, fewer still pointed him towards Pentel.  
So, Flo ran off toward the barns. _Lovely._

Exiting the mines to Pentel meant taking a stroll in the rain. An extended walk in the rain risks bringing on Pestilence. Huaso hesitated as he stood at the bottom of the ladder, looking up. It doesn’t look like he can exit it right now, seeing as there’s an add-on blocking the way.  
Wait a minute… that add-on shares that same minty sterile smell. What is Aceso doing here?

The circular add-on with one straight line and another coiled around it floated down through the exit. It gave a series of beeps, but in close proximity, Huaso could almost make out the words.

_“I’m sorry, but my master doesn’t want you to go look for him right now.”_

“What?” Huaso muttered, blinking as it floated closer, “Why?”

_“He’s hid himself well. You’ll be looking for a long time in the rain, and we both know what happens when you’re soaked to the bone. Take a seat, and I’ll explain everything.”_

The miner did as he was told, sitting away from the ladder so he wouldn’t be rained on. “Alright, go on…”

_“Actually… it’ll just be easier if you take a hold of me. There’s a reason why he treasures your friendship, even if you don’t...”_

\--

The morning breakfast bell rings, and like clockwork, #48276 made his way to the dining room with #52316.  
There’s a bell for everything; to go to work, to go from work, to get lunch, to get dinner, and to go to bed. His routine is dictated by the bell. Always ringing. Always annoying. There’s even a bell for spectre attacks. If he ever got out of this Hellhole and made his own world, it will certainly be one without bells!

As he got his share of food, he took his seat at the same spot by the same table, by a window he could look out, and #52316 would sit to his left. Between the two of them, only one was sick of eating sugar. He perked up when a new face sat to his right.

“Oh, hhhh-hello,” #48276 spoke up, wary, “I don’t think I got your number before.”

“For personal reasons, I won’t be sharing my number. But you can call me Florence.” the new face greeted the worker with a warm smile. A rarity among the inhabitants, this one was a ray of sunshine. “What’s your name?”

“I’ve only known myself as #48276. And this pal of mine here is #52316.” the hardy inhabitant replied. This was followed by a mental head shake-

\--

“Hold up; ya said yer number was _#48276_? Surely this ain’t a coincidence.”

 _“Are you going to let me finish?”_ Aceso quips, its tone sounding precisely as when Huaso himself gets fed up with someone's foolhardiness.

A sigh of disbelief escaped the miner, his clawed hands not letting the add-on go. No wonder why the miner felt a clash of interest whenever Aceso got involved in combat.

“By all means, do continue.”

\--

This was followed by a mental head shake; Florence isn’t going to keep his sunny disposition for very long. Many workers have gone completely bonkers on sugar alone, and he himself has been limiting the amount he eats a day, already feeling the grains erode his mind cell by cell.

As for #52316, he wasn’t fairing better visually, the telltale black spots on his cheeks having just formed last month, but he was keeping his mental capacity together surprisingly well.

“Boooring…” Flo drawled out in response, “Are you sure you don’t have a name? Because I’ll give you one.”

“Flo, it’s against protocol to go by any other referral.” #48276 tries to reason, but the new inhabitant’s next response just proves to him that it went through one ear and out the other.

“I’m going to call you Huaso. You do strike me as a farmer more than an industrial worker.”

“Fine, go ahead.” #48276, or Huaso rather, shrugs. “So what brings you here? To Vesper, of all places?”

“I just needed a place to start over. Turn a new leaf. Leave my old life behind.” and what a life he left behind. He didn’t like to think about it. He brought out a blue lighter and looked it over, deciding that it would be safer to not flick open the lid. Not with this many inhabitants about.

“I won’t push you for it.” Huaso remarks, taking a cautious spoon of ‘breakfast’, and trying not to cringe at the sweet taste that rolled down his tongue. Brain rot, it’s all going to lead to brain rot. “Do you have your timetable?”

“I do! I was told to work with #48276 for the first month. That’s you!”

And he wasn’t told, why? Huaso rests a hand against his forehead. Here it goes, there’s a good chance this bubbly Elsen will replace him by the time it’s his turn to be tossed in the furnace. He wouldn’t be surprised if Flo lost this personality when it happens.  
Half way through his plate of sugar and the bell rings. What he wouldn’t do to break a glass bottle full of smoke and go stab a spectre for its meat, but that’s against the rules as well…

~~

For the first three weeks out of their month together, Huaso lends an ear, always listening to Flo babble on about whatever comes to his mind as the two work. (Well, one worked, the other was running his mouth without a care in the world.) What was life like before he arrived at Vesper?  
When Huaso asked, Flo was very quick to dodge the question and run on a tangent. For now, it was just best to drop it and ignore the other. Maybe there is a reason why he refused to give out his number, or talk about what he was doing before he arrived.

The peace didn’t last long, as a Blind Spectre appeared behind them. Flo flinched, but Huaso clenched his shovel as he turned around. This spectre in particular had lost a tooth from an earlier encounter, well before Flo had arrived. “Back for more, are you?” he hissed, ignoring the black smoke rising from his mouth, eyes, and wrists.

“Careful, you’re burning up!”

“I know. This isn’t the first time I’ve cut it close. The bastard almost took my eye.”

But Flo was right. Now was not the time to get carried away. If he burns up, he could risk turning on his new friend, as well as dispatching the Blind Spectre in question.

**Corruption in progress...**

The blind spectre heard Flo’s shout, and charged for him first. Before it could bite down on the Elsen, Huaso brought the shovel down on its head, dealing a blunt blow to it. Not enough to bleed, but for it to stagger and back off.  
Flo took this chance to duck under the staggering spectre, and dive into a pile of sugar. In this pile, he found an arm. He didn’t know what the arm belonged to, but it will do! By the time he made his way back out of the pile, ready to set it on fire, he saw the blind spectre backing Huaso in a corner.

“Hey bright eyes! Over here!” he hollers, getting its attention. Once it began its advance towards him, he set the appendage on fire with his lighter and threw it right into its open mouth.

Quite possibly in alarm, the blind spectre closes its mouth with the fiery arm inside, and combusts into a ball of blue fire.

**Adversaries corrupted.**

Huaso stared at Flo, somewhat in disbelief. He had never seen a light source like that before. “You… you want to tell me w-what the _Hell_ that was?” he stammers out, getting back to his feet. He had broken out into a sweat, shivering as the telltale signs of burning up did not ebb away. His shovel had been tossed aside somewhere, bent out of shape.

From what Flo can see, there is a red stain on the other’s shirt, and it was being held by his hand. “Not right now. Sit down, you’re hurt!”

“And r-risk contaminating the sugar? Or worse; wait for a Von Gacy to come show itself?” Huaso began in protest, but was led to sit against the closest wall. The color was draining from his face.

“Then keep it down.” the usually bubbly Elsen hissed, pulling something out of his hip pocket. With Huaso’s vision blurring, he couldn’t quite make out what it was the other was holding. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“Hhh… Why though?” his head was thumping something awful, feeling the cracks beginning to split along his neck.

“Just promise.”

After getting a shaky nod from Huaso, Flo pushed the needle into his own arm and drew out the blood. With enough to suffice, he then lift’s the other’s shirt, found a spot nearby the wound, and slid the needle in to inject the blood. Never would he ever consider the fact that he would put his blood to use again willingly. But Huaso had been nothing short of a friend for the past three weeks. Leaving him to burn and bleed out was out of the question. He watched as the flesh wound began to knit itself back together, the color returning to his face, the signs of an imminent burn out receding from his neck and wrists.

“What did you do?” came the weak question from Huaso, watching as the other applied pressure to the spot while it healed over.

“What I did is the one thing you promise me you will not disclose with another soul. You still won’t, right?”

“Of course…”

“Not even to #52316?”

“Not even… you saved my life, and if this is all you ask of me, then I’ll honor it and keep it between us.”

~~

But it did more than heal #48276, and get him back up onto his feet. And others were beginning to take notice.

He didn’t become as bubbly as Flo, but he wasn’t so down-trodden anymore either. Sugar didn’t disgust him as it used to, and he put more elbow grease into his work. Additional hostile spectres and ghouls had a hard time taking him down, having learned his lesson from his encounter with the Blind Spectre that almost took him out, or made him burn. Or both.

At first, #52316 said nothing. But as the week drew on since the incident, and Huaso continued to improve in his overall health and stamina, he began to feel a little jealous. His health continued to go on the decline, and Flo didn’t offer anything to him.

Maybe it was worth getting a word to the Director after all...

~~

It took over an hour after curfew for Huaso to finally get to sleep. And when he does, he is awoken three hours later by someone shaking his shoulder.

And sniffling.

Eyes bleary from sleep, he blinks them open to see who woke him up while in such a state.  
“Flo? What are you doing?” he whispers, giving into a yawn, “You’ll get in trouble if anyone sees you.”

“Bad dream…” the other mumbles, misty eyes glaring at the floor. Now that he thinks about it, bothering Huaso wasn’t the best decision. But he didn’t know who else to turn to.

“Want to talk about it?” the worker sat up, rolling his shoulders before looking at the other. Flo shook his head after a few seconds of a mental debate. “Alright… want to climb aboard then?”

At that question, Flo nodded, waiting for the other to scoot over before climbing in. It’s a narrow bed, meant for one, but it was nice and warm. The two settled down, Huaso reaching down to pull the thin blanket over them. Because of the limited space, the two Elsen wordlessly decided that it was better off to embrace each other.

After a while though, Flo starts getting a little clingy. “Please, don’t let them take me away…”

“Don’t let who?” Huaso whispers. All he got in response was a nuzzle. It’s probably the fatigue and the horror the nightmare brought on, so he drops the conversation, letting his eyelids close again.

As he was lulled into sleep, he remembers the distinct smell of mint. Sugar free mint bubblegum to be exact.

It’s decidedly a nice smell.

~~

Huaso awoke to two additional voices in his quarters, as well as the absence of Flo in his bed. But the other was still nearby.

“We’re sorry, but we need you to come with us, Florence.” one of the inhabitants said. The two escorts were wearing lab coats, “The Director wants to see you.”

“Can I at least get my glasses? They’re in my room.”

“What are you doing here if this isn’t your room?”

“#48276 was being a good friend after a rough night of sleep.” that much Flo would admit. He wouldn’t admit that it was because of a bad dream that woke him up.

Huaso moved to settle back down on the bed, when the other Elsen began to talk. Not at Flo however.

“You too, #48276.”

“Huh? Why me?” Huaso climbs out of bed, a little miffed.

“Director only has a few questions. An anonymous worker took note of some abnormal qualities that have transpired over the past week.”

Flo and Huaso share a worried look between them. In as little as fifteen minutes, they had boarded the monorail heading towards Area 4. It was also the first time Huaso saw the other wear his blue glasses. Normally, Flo would keep them tucked in his pocket, or leave them under his bed so that they wouldn’t get dirty as they worked. Or, that was the explanation anyway. Flo still hadn’t shared his ID number, even for the entire month he had been here.

The two said nothing, but after getting off the monorail Huaso could feel the other’s little finger brush his hand as they walked side by side, with one guard up front and one at the back. He didn’t think twice to take a gentle hold of the other’s hand. And thankfully neither guards, nor the other inhabitants that they passed, said anything. Was the other still anxious over a bad dream last night?

“It’ll be alright,” Huaso muttered, feeling the other squeeze his hand subtly in response, “it’s just a few questions.”  
The four climbed the stairway, all the way to the Director’s office. He could feel the other’s pulse quicken in their hand hold, prompting Huaso to steal another side glance. Is Flo going to be okay?

Moments before passing through the door, Flo lets go of the other’s hand.

At the end of the room sat the Director, enjoying his breakfast still.

For the most part, Huaso tuned out the conversation with a look of disinterest, but he started to pay attention again when the guards that escorted them each clamped a hand on his shoulders. What’s going on?

“Listen, #48276. Seeing as he’s not willing to talk, answer me this; did he, or did he not save your life with a transfusion of his blood? Keep in mind that it’s against workplace laws to fight against the Spectres.”

“Fuck if I remember.” Huaso grunted, trying to pull his shoulder away from claws digging into him. And like Hell was he going to say. “I was at the end of my tether, blacking out, nearly burning out. I don’t remember the fine print.”  
But he does. Flo finally confided to him about his abnormal healing capabilities when they first woke up this morning, and it was just the two of them. Well before the guards arrived. Huaso made a promise he would never tell another soul. His friend with the blue glasses would know; he has been with him the entire time since that incident with the blind spectre.

Which means someone else witnessed the blood transfusion.

“Does this look familiar?” the Director asks again, this time to both of them, as he holds up a blood stained shirt. That was definitely Huaso’s, but he showed no reaction. That was until the Director gave the order to lift his shirt and see if the wound was still there. “A wound that fatal would not have healed over quickly.” Enoch denounced matter-of-factly, pointing at the supple skin where there should have been scarring, or even a patch of burnt flesh, “So I will ask again; did you administer an illegal blood transfusion?”

Huaso watched with a shiver as Flo looked quite torn.

If he answered the truth, he might be locked away in isolation, with blood and organs constantly harvested from him. But if he lies, even through omission, #48276 could be looking at an early visit to the furnace.

A shiver rolls up and over his spine, seconds before the healthy inhabitant caves into sincerity, followed by a dark undertone of insanity.

“You know what? Fine. I did it. I did it because he saved me.” Flo threw his arms out, ignoring the quiet pleas from #48276 to stop. “Now you know. You may do as you wish, on one condition.”

Enoch grinned. A source of good health and organ donations… so the late merchant wasn’t lying? He leans close, letting the necktie hang close to the Elsen that just confessed his crime.

“What would that be?”

It was then that a crazed look crossed Florence’s eyes as he grabbed the tie with a yank in one hand, and flipped open the lighter with another. “If you know how to deal with _this._ ”  
Wasting no time, the lighter is held to the tie, and the blue fire catches on, quick to spread up the fabric before it quickly engulfs the giant in flames. There was no time to get the tie off. Or to stop, drop and roll. And even if he did, the flames didn’t seem to go out.

Huaso took this stunned silence as a chance to break free from the guards, elbowing one in the gut before making a run to the doors. He made it, but not without taking a deep slash to the back. Still, he pressed on. As he pushed through the doors, one of the guards started to scream an unholy screech. Flo had just set one of them on fire as well.  
What was left of Flo’s blood in his body already began to work on the gash on his back, the blood quick to clot and seal over, the surrounding skin beginning to itch. But muffled explosions were going off in the walls as he ran down hallways. Anyone who wasn’t on sugar deprivation would pay attention about this one running inhabitant, yelling something about fire. That they needed to stop what they’re doing and make it to the monorail.  
By the time he was on the tram in question, several others were clambering on as well. Area 4 was going up in flames, but how it spread to the other areas in quick succession was beyond his understanding. He gripped the bars as the tram swung into motion, heading back to Area 1 in order to evacuate.

The stress of it all caused a few of the Elsen to go Burnt already, but due to the collective fear of fire they easily resisted the urge to attack others that have yet to start burning. That could quickly change as soon as the tram stops.  
In spite of everything, Huaso hoped that, deep down, Florence would make it out okay.

~~

With the evacuation siren on full blast, those who had not been driven insane yet, or hadn't been found by the rampant pyromaniac, had all gathered at the entrance of Area 1. Huaso counted the heads that made it out thus far. But as time went on, more and more of Zone 3 caught fire. A few of the evacuees even began to burn out from the stress of it all. How will one get their sugar fix now?!  
But more, more than anything, where is Flo and #52316?

There was no doubt Flo started the fire; he set the director ablaze after all! But this wasn’t reassuring in and of itself. Pushing the fear of danger down, Huaso broke from the crowd and ran back in through the entrance, which had smoke flowing out at an alarming rate. Smoke that, compared to the bottled smoke in the mines from Zone 1, wasn’t breathable.

It took some stumbling around in the dark smog, but once he recognized the cafeteria he navigated his way to the dorms. The way to his room was blocked, and yet he would not be deterred. He grabs the debris and begins to dig his way through until he is able to squeeze past, panting and coughing as the ill smoke starts to clog his lungs.

Huaso called out their name or number of his two friends, but got no response. After a coughing fit, he calls out again, a little hoarse this time. By the time he reaches his dorm, his heart drops, and a plume of burning black smoke escapes in a cough.

There, on his bed, was #52316. Or what remains of him. Strangled by the necktie tethered to a bedpost and the body still engulfed in blue flames. The very same fire that consumed Enoch.

There would have to be a reason why Flo did this. Huaso shook his head, adrenaline starting to kick into high gear as he felt himself starting to burn. He ran back the other way, pushed past the rubble, able to see the flames from a zone-wide wildfire seeping in between the cracks. He makes it to the cafeteria and starts navigating his way back to the entrance.  
Despite the dangers, the spectres still pose a threat. One wrong turn and he would have to face them down. Needless to say, he was ill prepared for combat.

An explosion that rocked the foundation knocks the Elsen off balance, landing on the floor face down while slamming his chin. The groan from a beam overhead didn’t register, but by the time an intense crushing pain could be felt upon his legs, the stress and lack of quality smoke got the best of him, and his body went into shock.

\--

Huaso was still in a daze. He couldn’t feel anything from the thighs down. It’s too hot. It’s getting too hard to breathe. He wheezed, trying to find his strength in his arms and failing to do so. But in the thick haze, he could spot someone at the door.  
Once more, he gathered as much strength as he could, and called out to the silhouette. A coughing fit followed, but it was enough to get the other to notice.

“Huaso!” came the frantic voice of none other than Flo. He watches as the other hurries over, going straight for the beam and trying to lift it up. “I got worried when I couldn’t find you out the front!”

Try as he might, it wasn’t enough. And when Flo did get it to budge an inch, Huaso only groaned out in pain. “Ah! S-stop, stop, that hurts! Leave it be!”

Flo eased the beam back down, soon kneeling down by the other’s side. “Why weren’t you out there with the others?”

“Same r-reason as why you’re in here right now. I went back in to look for you and #52316…” Huaso wheezed out.

“#52316 is the reason why we were dragged to the Director!” Flo sniffed, grabbing the trapped Elsen’s hand, “I’m sorry y-you had to see that, but I wasn’t going to let it slide!”

Both perked up as another groan gave way. “Flo, g-get out while you still can.”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“You told me you survived the last inferno, you’re going to survive this one. Even if you got me out from here I won’t be the s-same.” Huaso trails off in another coughing fit before composing himself, “If you survive, and the Queen finds out, you’ll face retribution like no other!”

Flo saw it in the other’s eyes. Huaso knew he was doomed the moment the structure fell on him, and there was no saving him now. Even if he was freed, purification from the lack of a Guardian would have wiped him out regardless.

“Please, s-save yourself. I… I don’t know how I’ll keep this promise, but I’ll catch up as soon as I p-possibly can.”

A tense silence stretched between them, before another structure gave way, forcing Flo to back off. A flaming slab of metal landed on #48276’s back, but by now it was clear he accepted his fate.

“Go, git going!”

As the Harbringer of Health ran out the door, Huaso closed his eyes. It didn’t feel so hot anymore.

~~

_When his vision next faded into view, it was from a world of light that began to darken. As the image cleared up, he understood that he was standing, or rather floating, behind Florence. The two of them looking on as Zone 3 became nothing more than a choking, smoldering, beautiful wildfire at night. It was from this angle that he could appreciate the beauty of fire, why Flo was ever so fascinated with it._

_He burned the one who valued credits over his life and everything was okay._

_He burned his kidnappers and everything was okay._

_He burned the frog masked merchant and everything was okay._

_He burned the Big Mister and everything was okay._

_He burned the jealous traitor and everything was okay._

_He set the entirety of Zone 3 on fire and everything was okay._

_Everything was okay. Everything was fine._

_Everything was on fire._

_Then his closest friend got caught under debris that was alight with the same element that claimed the lives of many before him. He did so because he was looking for Florence, the Harbringer of Health, the arsonist that burnt bridges and watched it all go up in smoke with a manic laugh._ _  
__Aceso evidently came to the final conclusion of it all._

_Everything was okay._

**_Until it was not._ **

\--

 _“Now you know why.”_ Aceso beeped as the vision faded from Huaso’s mind, in a present time where Flo’s very own #48276 was, in fact, the Servant of Health today. _“I don’t mean to make you feel bad with such a somber story.”_

“Nah… it’s alright. Thanks, I feel like I was missin’ somethin’ while lackin’ the clarity an’ the empathy. But I’m not sure it was in all our best interest ta share.” Huaso said, feeling a lot more guilty than he had when he realized what he said that had upset Flo. He lets go of the add-on. “May I go find ‘im now?”

_“Trap door, back of the first barn.”_

“Barn?”

_“Eddie really is a bad influence on you, you know that?”_

~~

This must be the trap door. The smell of mint was faint, but it’s there in a place where the smell of hay, metal, and cow cakes should be the only thing that stinks.  
Huaso checked his pocket for the lighter. After confirming that it was indeed still there in his front pocket, he knocks on the trapdoor before lifting it and making his way down.

Flo didn’t say anything. He didn’t move, he didn’t respond. But he wasn’t in a coma. If anything, it smells like he had cried himself to sleep.

The miner sat down by the sleeping doctor, reaching over and gently shaking his shoulder.

Flo woke with a start, flinching before blinking. It’s so dark. Why is it so dark? Who was in there with him? That’s when the lighter flips open and a little blue flame comes into view.  
His lighter, being held by white calcified claws made of burnt sugar.

“Forgettin’ somethin’?”

In a hurry, Flo snatches back the lighter, the motion causing the lid to flip shut and snuff out his only light source. “Huaso! Y-You said it yourself, that thing is dangerous to you!”

“I know. But it’s yers. An’ it wouldn’ be the same if it wasn’ on your person.” Huaso admitted solemnly, “I think we’re due for a proper talk. So let’s git this over with before I let ya go runnin’ around in the mines.  
“I didn’ know about yer history, nor was it any of my business. But without the knowledge, I didn’ quite understand what made ya tick, an’ why. You always seem to be careful ‘round me, that much I’ve noticed. Least until you have to watch ya lighter.” he began, watching the echo ping as Flo moved to sit up, hugging his knees and resisting the urge to rest against the sickly Elsen for now. “Honestly, if there was somethin’ ya wanted to git off ya chest, I could have waited ‘til you were ready to explain.”

“I wasn’t going to speak up, because I didn’t know how you would react. So I sent Aceso to tell you.” Flo admitted, resisting the urge to flick on the lighter. Not when he’s this close to Pestilence, in a place where there are many flammable things within arm’s reach, including dust. “I’m sorry for running off like that. And for playing with the lighter in the mines…”

“I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. As well as the many times I thumped ya with th’ shovel.”

Huaso reached over, resting his hand on the other’s shoulder before giving a tug, letting the other rest against him. Like this, Flo could hear the other’s calm heartbeat, at a slightly slower pace given his undead condition. “With this knowledge, I can say this; Once upon a time, Aceso an’ I were, indeed, Elsen #48276. But the fact still stands that we existed on two completely different files. You an’ I only jus’ met in the file graveyard, while he’s always been by yer side the day you met ‘im. Even if he couldn’ follow ya that one time. An’ yet, he kept his promise. He never told another soul, an’ he would find a way to follow after you even to this day. He only told me this ‘bout ya because you gave ‘im permission to do so.”

He felt the other nod against his chest, his hand rubbing the doctor’s shoulder.

“Aceso an’ I are still very much different beings, too. He’ll forever follow ya, but I’m one great big flammable bastard. All I ask is that ya take extra care in the mines from now on. Or wait until the shift is over, which is after hours.”  
At least there wasn’t a light source when he felt the other wrap his arms around him, giving into a smile. “Could you at least do that for me?”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but you’ve saved my life more than enough times than I could count. You even saved me from myself while I was Full Mode Health once, even when you were putting yourself at risk. It will be a habit to curb, but… I’ll try to try. For you.” Flo snuggled, trying to hide a smile himself. He might not see in the dark, but Huaso could, as long as there is noise bouncing off surfaces.  
“You’re still my ray of sunshine, even when you pretend to be a rainy day. That is unhealthy; you should smile more.”

“...Shut up.” Huaso grunted, giving a slight push to the bringer of Health, unsuccessful in dislodging him from his person. This earned him a stifled snicker from Flo.

Eventually, as with time that heals all wounds, everything was going to be okay after all.


End file.
